Originally Posted by
razorrat
I would have to dis agree with that. Genes develop and breaks down through life. Take an 80 yr old bald crippled wrinkled old man for example. His genetics has broken down and his genes would not be the same as if he was a 22 old young man.
Also if this was the case as you said, Why do breeders wait for their bucks to age before they breed them? To get bigger bucks and alter their genes with suppliments.
I would agree that in more advanced age some mutations could occur. Even in humans there have been theories that older parents can contribute to downs syndrome, autism and various other things in their offsprings.
However, I think mighty little will be different in a 1.5 year old buck compared to a 3.5 year old. The point you try to make about breeders waiting for bucks to age does not apply in a wild herd. I don't think too many wild deer are effected by the relatively few food plots out there with any of these deer supplement concoctions some landowners put out in hopes of getting deer to grow bigger antlers.
As others have mentioned, if anything the genetically inferior bucks are given the chance to live and procreate for another year or more with AR's. The small 6 or 8 point 1.5 to 2.5 year old will surely be shot at first sight so his better genetics in actuality will be procreating for a shorter period of time.